In Washington Shakespeare Company’s Mary Stuart, there’s one big climactic moment that you’re waiting for: that two women will eventually make eye contact. And the fact that this moment is so breathlessly anticipated says something about the performances of these two women.

2010 is a big year for the Washington Shakespeare Company, a playhouse dedicated to presenting classical theater in bold and innovative ways. This year marks WSC’s 20th anniversary and a change in venue, as it moves from Crystal City to its new digs in Rosslyn’s Artisphere complex. WSC will celebrate these events on Saturday at the Rosslyn Spectrum with a gala that includes a one-night-only staging of By Any Other Name: An Evening of Shakespeare in Klingon. The event will feature a special appearance by George Takei, who played Sulu in the original Star Trek series and several of the feature films.

Angel Torres and Sara Barker in Washington Shakespeare’s production of Lulu. Photo by C. Stanley Photography. Lulu is bad news. Don’t believe me? Just take a glance at the couch that resides immediately in front of front row, center, in Washington Shakespeare Company’s production of this Nicholas Wright-penned mashed-up adaptation of two notorious Frank Wedekind plays. There you’ll find the trail of broken hearts and broken bodies the seductress leaves in her wake, in…

The cast of Washington Shakespeare Company’s “Camille”. In Washington Shakespeare Company’s staging of the comedic drag classic Camille (A Tearjerker), the story centers on Marguerite, a freewheeling but sickly prostitute with an assortment of silly friends, who falls in love with the penniless Armand. The cast is all male, save for one curious exception, and even actors who actually play men often join in with boa-wearing and lip-synching. Director Christopher Henley recreates the original…

Written by DCist contributor Andrej Krasnansky Welcome to Monk’s Place, where you can get your fill of spirits. In their production of Small Craft Warnings, Washington Shakespeare Company has transformed their lobby into the dive bar in which Tennessee Williams set his play. The walls are lined with kitsch and pinups; the jukebox looks straight out of the ’70s; the smoky atmosphere is palpable (fortunately without an overwhelming smell). Audience members are welcomed pre-show…

“But wait…there’s a second act?” When the lights go out an hour and a half into Washington Shakespeare Company’s Red Noses, it’s a surprise when the curtain call doesn’t follow. Though not every loose end has been tied up in the play, a humorous send-up of a religious troupe who turns to comedy to combat the devastation of the Black Plague, it’s difficult to figure out what else the work has left to say….

FRIDAY >> The legendary Patti Smith is at the 9:30 Club tonight, and tickets are incredibly still available for $25. Doors at 9, show at 10 p.m. >> The idea of attending a lighting display, particularly after Christmas, might sound a bit cheesy. But the Garden of Lights in Wheaton might just change your mind. The designer tours the county gardens each year for inspiration for his display; this year, it invokes the four seasons….

Who knew the image of Jackie Kennedy could be so disturbing? The icon is central to the proceedings of The House of Yes, the dark, intriguing, and frequently funny play being staged by Washington Shakespeare Company. The piece is being done in repertory with another contemporary work, Kafka’s Dick, at Clark Street Playhouse. Dysfunctional families are hardly untapped territory for artistic exploration, but the snobby Pascals definitely have more than the usual set of quirks….

Good news in time for Christmas this year; the Warehouse Theater will continue to operate through next summer, according to the institution. The venue is currently hosting Scena Theater’s The Maids and will have new shows in February and March. That also means it remains a venue for next year’s Fringe Festival. The Warehouse is still looking for a new home. Despite the usual winter doldrums that December brings, there are still a number of…

Watching ex lovers bicker and slap each other silly may not sound like the most relaxing way to spend the evening, but Washington Shakespeare Company’s production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives makes for a surprisingly breezy, relaxing evening at the theater. Setting helps. WSC has chosen Playbill Café’s tiny black box theater to stage the work, and between lovely set pieces and the atmospheric addition of a singing chanteuse behind a lazy veil (Barbara Papendorp),…